Do you have a wedding disaster plan? CDC offers tips for surviving the season of love

Whether it's the risk of tornadoes or bridezillas, it pays to be prepared.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently gave the public a set of tongue-in-cheek tips on how to survive the zombie apocalypse. Now the federal agency wants you to survive something that's potentially just as dangerous: wedding season.

The CDC's newly published Wedding Day Survival Guide warns that getting through "the big day" requires a great deal of planning, coordination and patience. There are a lot of reasons to be worried: Wedding season coincides with hurricane season, guests have a tendency to get lost, and every wedding offers a high risk of bridezillas or in-laws behaving badly.

One of the biggest challenges posed by a wedding is the swarm of guests and relatives who arrive from all corners of the globe. The CDC recommends appointing a "runner" to take care of last-minute errands and to act as a go-to person for any questions from out-of-town guests. A designated point person is also recommended in case of emergencies. All guests should know how to contact the runner; meanwhile, while the runner — and everyone in the wedding party — should have a list of emergency contacts at hand.

When considering the weather, the CDC recommends watching the forecast and keeping a bunch of umbrellas on hand. If the weather is more severe, such as a tornado, find out if the venue has a set of emergency plans or an escape route, which will help to alleviate panic (and make sure the entire wedding party doesn't end up hiding in a tiny basement).

The bride and other members of the wedding party might want to consider an emergency bridal kit containing safety pins, extra makeup and a few sedatives. (What the heck ... weddings can be stressful, after all.) A first-aid kit, snacks, water, cash and important documents related to the wedding are also useful to have on hand.

But what about bridezillas? If a bride gets out of hand or overly emotional, the CDC recommends remembering that your "loved one is probably stressed out and will soon return to her caring self after the wedding is over. Be supportive and have some bottled water from your emergency kit and a box of chocolate on hand."

The CDC offers no specific recommendations for dealing with difficult in-laws.